Symphoniker Hamburg / Chamber Concert

Next comes Janáček’s suite »Mládi« (»Youth«) for wind sextet – a fascinating late work by the Moravian composer, full of youthful freshness, wit and vitality. Drawing on memories of his own youth, Janáček brings an expressive and humorous soundscape to the stage with unusual colours, distinctive fragments of motifs and the addition of a bass clarinet to the traditional wind quintet.

After the interval, the full chamber ensemble takes the stage for a major work of the early Romantic period: Kreutzer’s Septet in E-flat major. In its appealing combination of wind and string instruments, Kreutzer skilfully builds on the tradition of Viennese serenade music. The work is characterised by a wealth of flowing melodies, masterful instrumental dialogues and a relaxed, noble elegance that brings the evening to a virtuosic and richly coloured close.